Presentation made by [Cathal McCauley and Hugh Murphy] at the IFLA Library Buildings & Equipment Satellite Meetings. Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, August 10-11 2016

1. “A resounding success!” A case study of
the transformative impact of the new
library at Maynooth University
Cathal McCauley & Hugh Murphy
IFLA LBES Satellite, August 10-11 2016

2. Institutional context
MU Library
Maynooth
University
Maynooth
town
St Patrick’s
College
Maynooth
“Town and gown”

3. Rationale for new library
• Significant institutional
growth
• Longstanding concerns
• Catalyst for change
(internal and external)
• Remove ‘barriers’
MU Library

4. Initial challenges
• Financial crash
• Establishing a consensus
on campus
• Developing the expertise
• Engaging with the local
community
MU Library

5. Feedback
Students Faculty Wider Community
‘Green’ building Dedicated PG / staff space Publicly accessible areas
More electrical outlets Exhibitions area Café
Diversity of learning styles
catered for
Meeting rooms Exhibitions area
Dedicated postgraduate/staff
space
Non-timetabled space Community space
Training spaces Café Exemplar building
Personal service & support Library staff area refurbished Welcoming building
Opening hours Subject ‘ghettos’ – disciplines
confined to old areas
Café
Sense of pride
MU Library

6. Commencement
MU Library
• Government approval
• Architect
• Contractor
• Sustaining momentum
• ‘Beacon of hope’
• Minimising impact

7. Catalyst for change
• Evolution of building,
space and profession
• Change where we work /
change how we work
• Organisational review:
2011-12
• New organisational
structure for a new space
MU Library

8. Old structure
MU Library

9. New structure
MU Library

10. A transformative project?
• Learning environments
• Collections
• Strategic
• Professional
• Nexus for collaboration
MU Library

11. Learning environments
• Need for flexibility of
space
• Variety of learning styles
• Future proof
• Evaluate and understand
MU Library

12. Collections
• Reassess
• Reconfigure
• Showcase and highlight
• Death of print?
• UDCs
• Accessibility
MU Library

13. Strategic
• Building as enabler
• Show what we can deliver
• Redefine our role
• Strategic prominence
• Professional
• Cultural hub
MU Library

14. Strategic prominence
MU Library

15. Professional responsibilities
MU Library

16. Cultural hub
MU Library

17. Nexus for collaboration
• Neutral space
• ‘Town and gown’
• A ‘public’ library?
• Challenges
MU Library

18. Metrics – the hard
• 216% increase in seating
• 147% increase in space
• 130% increase in shelving
• Consistent rise in footfall
• Consistent rise in online interaction
• New spaces
• New users
• New role
MU Library

19. Metrics – the soft
MU Library
“a resounding success”
2015 Quality review peer review
group report
Libqual improvement
Social media

20. Transformation via
• Ongoing collaboration with user groups and the wider community at every
stage of the process and beyond
• Restructuring of library organisationally in parallel with the physical
redevelopment to ensure that the maximum benefit was extracted from
the project
• New building facilitates the development of vital services that impact on
the student experience e.g. opening hours and bespoke training suites
• An ability to strike a balance between traditional roles e.g. housing
collections appropriately and newer roles e.g. social and cultural hub
• The teaching and learning spaces have become the benchmark on campus
for such spaces, with ongoing discussions about the possibility of the library
taking on responsibility for all teaching and learning space on campus due
to the success of the project.
• Enhanced involvement with colleagues nationally and internationally who
wish to learn about our spaces
MU Library

21. Thank you,
go raibh maith agaibh
Cathal McCauley
University Librarian
Cathal.McCauley@nuim.ie
@cathalmccauley
Hugh Murphy
Senior Librarian, CMS
Hugh.murphy@nuim.ie
@hughtweet
MU Library